Opticoat questions

PodDoc · 10-26-2015, 06:10 AM

Hey guys, does anyone know how you can tell if opticoat was put on the car and or how to tell if the coating is still on the car?

I had the whole front and various high impact areas covered with ppf and paid for opticoat over the areas with ppf but i cant a difference between areas with it and w/o. No difference in beading, shine or ease of cleaning. If it was actually put on, im really glad i didnt pay for it to be put on the whole car.

Matt_B · 10-26-2015, 07:18 AM

Are you sure they didn't coat the whole car in opticoat? I understand wanting ppf only over certain vulnerable areas but if you're going to apply a coating on top you'd generally apply that to the entire car and not just the film.

John dillinger · 10-26-2015, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PodDoc

Hey guys, does anyone know how you can tell if opticoat was put on the car and or how to tell if the coating is still on the car?

I had the whole front and various high impact areas covered with ppf and paid for opticoat over the areas with ppf but i cant a difference between areas with it and w/o. No difference in beading, shine or ease of cleaning. If it was actually put on, im really glad i didnt pay for it to be put on the whole car.

just had mine done ~ they opti'd the whole car …. so glad i had it done

shout out to Ryan http://www.autopaintguard.com

great outfit

Never Convicted · 10-26-2015, 08:08 AM

You should have the whole body coated, not just over the clear bra. Did your installer do any paint prep before he put the film on? You're going to see inconsistencies in the paint if you don't coat the whole thing. Unless you specifically told the detailer to just coat the impact areas, I'd assume he knew enough to do the whole thing. But...I would call to make sure.

freezey · 10-26-2015, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PodDoc

Hey guys, does anyone know how you can tell if opticoat was put on the car and or how to tell if the coating is still on the car?

I had the whole front and various high impact areas covered with ppf and paid for opticoat over the areas with ppf but i cant a difference between areas with it and w/o. No difference in beading, shine or ease of cleaning. If it was actually put on, im really glad i didnt pay for it to be put on the whole car.

email phil@detailersdomain.com he will explain the differences and what the benefits are also.

evanevery · 10-26-2015, 10:36 AM

I believe OptiCoat is a sealant (just like the Zaino family of products).

If you really want it done right (up to YOUR standards) then do it with Zaino. Its a lot cheaper but it will easily take you a full day. In the end, you get it done to what ever level you want...

- Clay bar the car
- One or two Z-5 applications (w/zfx to speed curing)
- A single Z-2 Application (w/zfx to speed curing)
- A final spritz and wipe down with Z-6 gloss enhancer

You only need to do this once. Then you can do maybe one Z-2 application a year with Z-6 after each wash in between.

Bmwguy11 · 10-26-2015, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evanevery

I believe OptiCoat is a sealant (just like the Zaino family of products).

If you really want it done right (up to YOUR standards) then do it with Zaino. Its a lot cheaper but it will easily take you a full day. In the end, you get it done to what ever level you want...

- Clay bar the car
- One or two Z-5 applications (w/zfx to speed curing)
- A single Z-2 Application (w/zfx to speed curing)
- A final spritz and wipe down with Z-6 gloss enhancer

You only need to do this once. Then you can do maybe one Z-2 application a year with Z-6 after each wash in between.

Opticoat is very different from zaino. Zaino is more of a traditional wax-type treatment, where as opticoat is a polymer "coating".

On a side note I used to use zaino myself, but with this car opted for a DIY polymer coating and used cquartz UK.

pokerface · 10-26-2015, 10:53 AM

Opticoat tends to bead the water and wick it away. Not sure if you even got it if you don't notice any beading effect.

Dshady · 10-26-2015, 11:35 AM

It also does not feel smooth to the touch when you run your hand over it. It should almost feel a bit tacky.

evanevery · 10-26-2015, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bmwguy11

Opticoat is very different from zaino. Zaino is more of a traditional wax-type treatment, where as opticoat is a polymer "coating".

On a side note I used to use zaino myself, but with this car opted for a DIY polymer coating and used cquartz UK.

Thats just not true. Zaino is definitely not a wax type treatment. It is a polymer sealant just like OptiCoat.

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/zaino/.../prod_466.html

evanevery · 10-26-2015, 01:09 PM

More Zaino/sealant info here: http://www.detailingspot.com/?page_id=403

Bmwguy11 · 10-26-2015, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evanevery

Thats just not true. Zaino is definitely not a wax type treatment. It is a polymer sealant just like OptiCoat.

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/zaino/.../prod_466.html

Pardon me, let me correct myself. The two are VERY different.

Zaino is a synthetic polymer, while czquartz/opticoat etc are nano/glass coating and SiO2 based. They are very different. The SiO2 based coatings have more durability and are very different from waxes and polymers.

As I said, I used zaino for YEARS, but finally switched to a SiO2 coating with my F80.

edit: not sure why this got moved to a sponsor forum instead of cosmetic wash/wax...

evanevery · 10-26-2015, 02:23 PM

Despite the "glass", "quartz" , or other "ooga-booga" trademark compound names, I suspect these products are more alike than different. Nothing is going to form a true "glass" (or quartz) surface on your car despite what the trademark compounds seem to infer...

I respect that you prefer OptiCoat more than Zaino. Thats fair. I've also been using Zaino on all my cars since 2000, and I've never seen anything that produces a better, more durable surface.

In any case I'll agree to disagree...

BTW - Where are you in Wisconsin? I'm in Waukesha...

Bmwguy11 · 10-26-2015, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evanevery

Despite the "glass", "quartz" , or other "ooga-booga" trademark compound names, I suspect these products are more alike than different. Nothing is going to form a true "glass" (or quartz) surface on your car despite what the trademark compounds seem to infer...

I respect that you prefer OptiCoat more than Zaino. Thats fair. I've also been using Zaino on all my cars since 2000, and I've never seen anything that produces a better, more durable surface.

In any case I'll agree to disagree...

BTW - Where are you in Wisconsin? I'm in Waukesha...

Colgate, not too far from you.

Yea i've been using zaino since around 2000/2001 when I had my Honda S2000. Zaino was huge on the s2ki forums.

I used cquartz by the way, not opticoat. I've been trying to say there is a difference between the polymers and the silicon coatings. All of the glass/ceramic coatings (regardless of ooga booga names

) use SiO2 (silicon dioxide). So we're not just talking about marketing "fluff" or what have you. There is a very real difference between them due to the type of chemical makeup and that has nothing to do with marketing or a catchy name.

evanevery · 10-26-2015, 05:00 PM

I'm betting that the Zaino ZCS is exactly the same compound...

http://www.zainostore.com/product/Z-CS.html

Bmwguy11 · 10-26-2015, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evanevery

I'm betting that the Zaino ZCS is exactly the same compound...

http://www.zainostore.com/product/Z-CS.html

It's not, it's another synthetic polymer. Says in the info. :/

"From conception to realization, the principal and design emphasis of Zaino Z-CS Clear Seal was quite fundamental - an advanced total synthetic polymer protectant."

I'm not trying to tell anyone that what they use is wrong by the way. I'm simply saying there is a difference between silicon coatings vs waxes and polymers.

cays · 10-26-2015, 07:54 PM

Time for an Opticoat story. I was a skeptic but ended up purchasing some Opticoat and doing the entire car including ppf. After 3 months I put on a second coat. Fast forward to a homeless person eating his meal off the roof of my car one evening (I was told that by a bystander). I could see extremely really deep scratches on the edges of the roof where he was leaning while dining, no doubt due to all the grit on his sleeves.

After aggressive machine-work the scratches were brought to cosmetic acceptability, but as I started the final machine-polish I could see the body color coming off on a diaper I was using to clean the compound off with. The clear coat was gone. Over the next few days I put on multiple coats of Opticoat, curing it with a hair dryer after air drying, aiming in addition to filling what was left of the scratches with Opticoat. By now I was comfortable with my understanding of how Opticoat set up and cured.

Another 3 months of recommended curing time later I experimented with what it took to get down to the color coat by working through the Opticat via machine-polishing. The somewhat surprising answer is that Opticoat held up extremely well (I never did see body color come off), so that tells me it really does what the manufacturer claims. My guess is good prep is critical to good results, and in my judgement it clearly is a separate category of product from polishes and sealants.

cays · 10-27-2015, 01:33 AM

Sorry OP, but to answer your question, I don't really think there is a way to tell. Side by side, yes, but having done it on two cars already I'd be hard-pressed to say there is a definitive test and I can't recall that anything at all struck me as "changed" following the application on ppf.

10-26-2015, 06:10 AM	#1
PodDoc Lieutenant 302 Rep 516 Posts Drives: 2013 F30 335i / 2016 F80 M3 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Lake Forest, IL iTrader: (0)	Opticoat questions Hey guys, does anyone know how you can tell if opticoat was put on the car and or how to tell if the coating is still on the car? I had the whole front and various high impact areas covered with ppf and paid for opticoat over the areas with ppf but i cant a difference between areas with it and w/o. No difference in beading, shine or ease of cleaning. If it was actually put on, im really glad i didnt pay for it to be put on the whole car.
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10-26-2015, 07:18 AM	#2
Matt_B Lieutenant 153 Rep 412 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Lancaster, PA iTrader: (0)	Are you sure they didn't coat the whole car in opticoat? I understand wanting ppf only over certain vulnerable areas but if you're going to apply a coating on top you'd generally apply that to the entire car and not just the film.
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10-26-2015, 08:08 AM	#4
Never Convicted Lieutenant Colonel 1108 Rep 1,497 Posts Drives: M4 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Charlotte NC iTrader: (0)	You should have the whole body coated, not just over the clear bra. Did your installer do any paint prep before he put the film on? You're going to see inconsistencies in the paint if you don't coat the whole thing. Unless you specifically told the detailer to just coat the impact areas, I'd assume he knew enough to do the whole thing. But...I would call to make sure.
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10-26-2015, 10:36 AM	#6
evanevery Lieutenant Colonel 1113 Rep 1,904 Posts Drives: iXM60, i8 Rdstr, M4, i7 M70 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Wisconsin iTrader: (0)	I believe OptiCoat is a sealant (just like the Zaino family of products). If you really want it done right (up to YOUR standards) then do it with Zaino. Its a lot cheaper but it will easily take you a full day. In the end, you get it done to what ever level you want... - Clay bar the car - One or two Z-5 applications (w/zfx to speed curing) - A single Z-2 Application (w/zfx to speed curing) - A final spritz and wipe down with Z-6 gloss enhancer You only need to do this once. Then you can do maybe one Z-2 application a year with Z-6 after each wash in between. __________________ The Jiggery-Pokery is Strong with this One https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1645366 https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1197553 https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...4&postcount=35
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10-26-2015, 10:53 AM	#8
pokerface Colonel 432 Rep 2,527 Posts Drives: F25 X3 N20 / F80 ZCP Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Toronto iTrader: (1)	Opticoat tends to bead the water and wick it away. Not sure if you even got it if you don't notice any beading effect.
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10-26-2015, 11:35 AM	#9
Dshady Private First Class 55 Rep 138 Posts Drives: 2016 M3 Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: TX iTrader: (0)	It also does not feel smooth to the touch when you run your hand over it. It should almost feel a bit tacky.
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10-26-2015, 01:09 PM	#11
evanevery Lieutenant Colonel 1113 Rep 1,904 Posts Drives: iXM60, i8 Rdstr, M4, i7 M70 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Wisconsin iTrader: (0)	More Zaino/sealant info here: http://www.detailingspot.com/?page_id=403 __________________ The Jiggery-Pokery is Strong with this One https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1645366 https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1197553 https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...4&postcount=35
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10-26-2015, 02:23 PM	#13
evanevery Lieutenant Colonel 1113 Rep 1,904 Posts Drives: iXM60, i8 Rdstr, M4, i7 M70 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Wisconsin iTrader: (0)	Despite the "glass", "quartz" , or other "ooga-booga" trademark compound names, I suspect these products are more alike than different. Nothing is going to form a true "glass" (or quartz) surface on your car despite what the trademark compounds seem to infer... I respect that you prefer OptiCoat more than Zaino. Thats fair. I've also been using Zaino on all my cars since 2000, and I've never seen anything that produces a better, more durable surface. In any case I'll agree to disagree... BTW - Where are you in Wisconsin? I'm in Waukesha... __________________ The Jiggery-Pokery is Strong with this One https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1645366 https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1197553 https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...4&postcount=35
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10-26-2015, 05:00 PM	#15
evanevery Lieutenant Colonel 1113 Rep 1,904 Posts Drives: iXM60, i8 Rdstr, M4, i7 M70 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Wisconsin iTrader: (0)	I'm betting that the Zaino ZCS is exactly the same compound... http://www.zainostore.com/product/Z-CS.html __________________ The Jiggery-Pokery is Strong with this One https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1645366 https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1197553 https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...4&postcount=35
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10-26-2015, 07:54 PM	#17
cays Private First Class 143 Rep 155 Posts Drives: 3 Germans Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Time for an Opticoat story. I was a skeptic but ended up purchasing some Opticoat and doing the entire car including ppf. After 3 months I put on a second coat. Fast forward to a homeless person eating his meal off the roof of my car one evening (I was told that by a bystander). I could see extremely really deep scratches on the edges of the roof where he was leaning while dining, no doubt due to all the grit on his sleeves. After aggressive machine-work the scratches were brought to cosmetic acceptability, but as I started the final machine-polish I could see the body color coming off on a diaper I was using to clean the compound off with. The clear coat was gone. Over the next few days I put on multiple coats of Opticoat, curing it with a hair dryer after air drying, aiming in addition to filling what was left of the scratches with Opticoat. By now I was comfortable with my understanding of how Opticoat set up and cured. Another 3 months of recommended curing time later I experimented with what it took to get down to the color coat by working through the Opticat via machine-polishing. The somewhat surprising answer is that Opticoat held up extremely well (I never did see body color come off), so that tells me it really does what the manufacturer claims. My guess is good prep is critical to good results, and in my judgement it clearly is a separate category of product from polishes and sealants.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

10-27-2015, 01:33 AM	#18
cays Private First Class 143 Rep 155 Posts Drives: 3 Germans Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Sorry OP, but to answer your question, I don't really think there is a way to tell. Side by side, yes, but having done it on two cars already I'd be hard-pressed to say there is a definitive test and I can't recall that anything at all struck me as "changed" following the application on ppf.
	Appreciate 0 Quote